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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

I Broke the Lawn Mower (And They Say it is a Capital Offense)

NOTE: I am posting this despite not being able to solve the photo issue I was having.

I love wind chimes. I have five right now strung up across the yard. I used to have six.

Remember a few months back when I had all that yard work done? Well, the guys were good enough to take down the chimes and rehang them if they got in the way of their work.

Looks like they forgot to hang one back up.

And I found it.

With my lawn mower.

By the way, notice that fancy star shape in the center? That apparently makes this a "special" blade that needs to be special ordered from a parts depot because NOBODY carries it.

This blade is now good for ripping the grass from the ground in a whirlwind of inefficiency.

Keeping in mind that lawn mower blades need to be replaced or sharpened every season I don't mind having to replace it. And it was sort of fun hearing that thwackity clunk clunk clunk for about 10 nano seconds before I let go of the lawn mower and jumped five feet away from it expecting it to of course blow right the heck up!

But having to spend an entire day searching the stores for the replacement was a prelude to a tantrum. After an hour in Home Depot (where I was told to go to Sears because they'd have it), then waiting a half an hour for Sears to open only to be told that they don't carry that particular blade so I should check the bigger Sears in the mall. At the bigger Sears I was told they could order the part for me to pick up later.

"You don't carry it?" I frowned at the khaki wearing man.

"Nope. This is a special order part." He walked to an in store customer computer. "Here, I can help you order it."

Right, I think, because I can't order something online by myself! Jeesh! I don't want to pay for shipping which was the whole point in coming to the store.

"I'm really trying to understand this." I said slowly, my patience had already worn down to a very thin strand ready to snap at any moment. "I bought the lawn mower here." The man nodded at me. "You were in fact the one who sold it to me." (I have a great memory for faces plus he has been working at this Sears in the lawn and garden department for as long as I can remember). He nodded again, but he was clearly just trying to appease me at that point.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"And you are telling me that you do not actually carry the parts for the products that you sell?" I am sure steam is shooting out of my ears and my eyes have rolled into the back of my head.

"I can order it-"

"No," I interrupted, "I'm done. I'll just order it at home."

"I'm very sorry," he said as I turned and walked away.

I nod but just kept walking. I had a lethal weapon in my hand in the form of a rusty old lawn mower blade and I so wanted to shank someone.

8 comments:

This, among other things, is why I set aside money in my budget to pay a man to do my lawns. Well, I also don't really have lawns so much as dead stuff in my front and back yards. I have a ton of trees and just thinking about mowing over the roots (some of which are exposed) gave me so much anxiety that when I went lawnmower shopping I said, "Nope. I'll just pay someone."

I would've shanked someone. Even if it was the poor Sears guy who has worked there forever.

The weird thing is, I like mowing the lawn...as long as it is not May through August, because really? No one should be outside then! Especially in Florida! I don't even mind that we have nearly two acres and only a push mower. So weird.

This one touched home. At 12 my parents enticed me to mow the lawn for cash, which lead to me mowing the neighbors lawns. With the amount of decapitated sprinkler heads I was responsible for, I know the anguish of broken blades. You are right to just order from the source. The internet has blessed us with not having to deal with the ignorance and "don't give a care" of clerks. And you only have a push mower!?! I suffered heat stroke from a powered mower. And don't get me started on weed-whackers! Okay, this has gotten too lawn-care-nerdy, even for me.

My dad once ran over his foot whilst mowing the lawn. I was 9. I think he may have been drunk though. Anyway, I still use this as an excuse to not have to mow. Because I've been "traumatized" or whatever.

I found you through Melanie's page...not sure why I hadn't found you already, though!

Your experience sounds exactly like what would happen to me! And man it is so annoying going to multiple stores for parts for things. I would have given up and taken it in for someone else to fix, for sure.

About Me

I'm a simple girl with a complicated life. No. Wait. I'm complicated with a simple life? That doesn't sound right either.
I write. I read. I craft. I photograph. I game. I play.
I dream big while I stretch my wings.